Yakima Valley Community Foundation must receive completed application materials in the office no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the deadline. Emails are not accepted at this time. In the interest of fairness, YVCF takes this deadline very seriously and proposals received at any time after the deadline will not be considered. There are no exceptions to this policy. Organizations whose applications are late or incomplete may reapply next year.

All complete applications that are received by the deadline and meet Yakima Valley Community Foundation’s basic requirements undergo an assessment by staff and Grants and Program Committee members appointed by the Board of Directors. Sitting on this committee are members of the Board.

If you are invited to continue the application process following evaluation of Step One in your Letter of Intent, a deadline for submission of Step Two information will be set. Upon timely receipt of that information, it will again be reviewed by staff and Committee members. Review of your application will include a site visit and may include suggestions for revisions or modifications of the proposal. Discussions with others in the community who are familiar with your work, conversations with your peers in the field and other funders who have supported your efforts in the past may be incorporated.

The Grants and Program Committee submits its recommendations to the Board of Directors for final action. Following the approval from the Board, YVCF notifies each organization of the decision. Organizations will receive a letter announcing a grant award or grant declination. It takes approximately five months from the Letter of Intent deadline until the grant dollars are disbursed.

Criteria Used to Review Applications The amount and type of funds available and previous grants made to your organization and/or for similar programs will be taken into consideration. YVCF looks for signs of efficient and effective organizations. YVCF recognizes not every organization will meet all of the criteria. The criteria are meant as a general guide, not a definitive checklist.

1. Proven success - Does this organization deliver real outcomes? Does it leverage research and measure success?
2. Strong leadership - Can the organization’s staff articulate a clear vision and plans for how they will achieve their mission? Do they have a strong track record for achieving their goals? Is the board providing guidance and oversight?
3. Use of best practices - Does this organization use methodology that makes sense and takes into account best practices in the field?
4. Perspective - Does this organization place achieving its mission above preserving itself as an institution?
5. Accessibility and cultural competency - Does this organization meet people where they are in their languages, customs and physical locations?
6. Sustainability - Has the organization demonstrated its ability to attract the resources necessary to maintain its work?
7. Scalability - Can the success of this organization be replicated to work on a larger scale?
8. Collaboration - When appropriate, is this organization bringing together the strengths of multiple organizations to advance their mutual goals, share their combined knowledge and reduce duplication of efforts?

If you have further questions, please contact Emily Medeiros at (509) 457-7616.